Posted by Eileen
a resident of College Terrace
on Jan 27, 2014 at 5:45 am

Hi
We heard it as well. It was extremely loud and our house reverberated. I thought something was exploding... a gas pipeline. It was actually quite scary. We live in College Terrace near Stanford university and Stanford ave.... where are you located?

Posted by Resident
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jan 27, 2014 at 8:36 am

Here's what PAPD have posted on their Facebook page

Palo Alto Police Department

Did you hear a loud "boom" last night around 11:20 p.m., especially in the College Terrace neighborhood? If so, you weren't alone. Our 24-hour dispatch center received several calls about it. Our officers did an extensive area check, but were unable locate the source of it, nor any damage anywhere. We believe that it was most likely caused by an extremely large firework!

Posted by Tommy
a resident of College Terrace
on Jan 27, 2014 at 10:38 am

Last night at around 11:15 I happened to be outside looking at the stars...facing Stanford University...when a massive explosion occurred. The entire sky lit up and there was a large orange half-dome bubble over what looked like Stanford, but hard to tell. The shock wave hit me and nearly knocked the wind out of me, and set off all the car alarms in the neighborhood. I haven't seen anything on the news and called the Palo Alto Police Department this morning to see if they knew what it was. The gentleman said they didn't know, but he speculated it could have been a meteorite...which would make sense if it exploded above the ground. We could have had our own little Tunguska. I have been in contact with NASA in Moutain View, and they've provided me with a phone number of one of their researchers, which I'll try shortly. I cannot describe adequately how loud and bright that explosion was, and that big orange bubble was spectacular. Not to mention the shock wave that hit me. It was a very unusual sounding explosion as well...

I heard it too, and could hear the car alarms going off, so it had to be fairly close to the El Camino side of Stanford/College Terrace/Escondido area. If it were a meteorite, wouldn't the police have found something? I don't beleive it was fireworks, but would think that such an explosion would cause some more phone calls.

Posted by Tommy
a resident of College Terrace
on Jan 27, 2014 at 10:59 am

Steven, I agree...no way that was a firework. I saw it actually happen, and I've never seen or felt anything like it before. If a meteorite explodes above the ground, and if it's small enough, it more than likely wouldn't leave evidence. An example of an above-ground meteorite explosion was the one that happened over Tunguska, Russia, in the early 1900's. Of course, that example was MUCH MUCH larger than what may have happened last night, as it leveled an entire forest, but it left no trace of itself. If it was a meteorite that exploded last night, it was more than likely the size of a pebble or small rock.

Posted by Sarah
a resident of College Terrace
on Jan 27, 2014 at 11:22 am

No way was that a firework. I have never heard something so loud and scary in my life. It shook my entire apartment complex. I still cannot believe that the police couldn't find the cause of something like this.

Posted by John
a resident of College Terrace
on Jan 27, 2014 at 11:33 am

Check Twitter for #paloalto or #collegeterrace, a few people reported with those hashtags, and there were a couple of pics. checking #stanford turns up way too many Richard Sherman comments. I did hear sirens last night, and did see a number of police cars about.

Posted by another resident
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jan 27, 2014 at 12:40 pm

OK. This time I hope all of you will try to contact our alleged terrorism and emergency czar (they are AWOL anytime I have ever tried to call, so also contact the police), and make sure this gets TRACKED DOWN.

I reported one last year (I can't remember now and can't find it using search, but I think it was in the spring), when we were stopped one evening at El Camino and Page Mill, HUGE explosive bang around 8pm, somewhere off to the right toward the railroad tracks. I did call the police.

Once about two years ago, I was awakened by a loud bang and then a shock wave that actually went through the house and could be felt, going from the bay side toward the hills.

Curiouser and curiouser. The one twitter photo time hack is 2014/1/27 15:54:54, which if accurate must be Tokyo time (or Seoul), corresponding to 10:54 pm last night, which would explain why I didn't hear it because I was still inside a reasonably soundproof theater at that time. Impressive photo.

Posted by Elena Kadvany
a resident of another community
on Jan 27, 2014 at 2:12 pm

This is the Weekly's online editor. Police did confirm that the sound was caused by fireworks. Several officers checked the area and did not find any damage nor reports of anything unusual. Lieutenant Zach Perron said that any car alarms going off weren't out of the ordinary; even a single firework can touch off a car alarm.

"College Terrace residents who might have been alarmed by a loud explosion-like noise late Sunday night will be relieved to know: It was fireworks. Palo Alto Police Lieutenant Zach Perron said several officers checked the area where people heard the noise and didn't find any damage nor reports of anything unusual. He added that any car alarms going off weren't out of the ordinary. "Even a single firework would touch off car alarms," he said."

We didn't find anything, therefore it was fireworks. What kind of logic is that?

I am really quite surprised and concerned that there isn't an investigation, especially in a neighbor so close to Stanford. Anyone who lives in College Terrance can tell you that last night's explosion was horrifying and was 100% NOT a firework. Every neighbor that I have come in contact today has asked me about the EXPLOSION, not firework, and if I knew anything. How can you not investigate what was most likely a bomb or a meteorite? Come on Palo Alto Police, get your hands dirty and figure out what the hell that was last night! Residents were afraid and the police have done nothing to alleviate that feeling.

Posted by Yes way
a resident of another community
on Jan 27, 2014 at 3:16 pm

Oh please. I've seen home made fireworks so shockingly powerful that they would alarm the next state. Yes Virginia, it very well could have been a firework. A bomb done for kicks rather than damage is a firework. I think that's what the police are trying to say.

Posted by Craig Laughton
a resident of College Terrace
on Jan 27, 2014 at 3:35 pm

I slept through it, but my wife, still awake, came to me and wanted to know how I could sleep through it. She claimed it was extremely loud, and our windows shook. She said she has never felt/heard anything like it in this neighborhood, before.

If it was fireworks, it must have been a huge cherry bomb...emphasis on 'bomb'.

Posted by Jimmy C
a resident of College Terrace
on Jan 27, 2014 at 3:42 pm

I was on the hopper and heard it a huge boom but was confused by the sounds inherent to my activity at the time and thought I'd might have been overreacting. My digestion has been a little dicey these days but I could not have been responsible for something heard all the way on University.

Posted by Cassandra
a resident of College Terrace
on Jan 27, 2014 at 5:40 pm

I live in College Terrace (near Cameron Park) and heard and felt the explosion. Impressive.
On Sunday afternoon I happened to be looking out my kitchen window (southwest) and saw a daytime meteorite "burn out", causing a brief, bright and silent flash quite high in the sky. I see daytime events like that every couple of years. Not saying they are related, just saying that's what I saw.

Posted by another resident
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jan 27, 2014 at 8:48 pm

I love the way the police post says no reports of damage (and by implication there is nothing wrong). IMO, this is like saying no one in the hit and run vehicle went to the hospital therefore the no one was hurt.

Fireworks are illegal here. That's the most benign explanation. Someone should be tracking this down to make sure it's nothing worse.

Posted by another resident
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jan 27, 2014 at 10:57 pm

@ neighbor,
I hear illegal fireworks from my house every year and it's never been anything like that.

Police should do due diligence. If it's nothing, as you suspect, that's great. If it's not, then they will have prevented something worse. Part of their job is not to bury their heads in the sand just because it's possible to find an easy out or explanation. Illegal incendiary devices created a large explosion. There have been other unexplained, abnormal explosions in town in the last few years. They should figure out what gives.

If nothing else, the person we hired for emergency and (yes) terrorism prevention could us what they do to earn that executive salary. Right now, it's hard to even figure out how the current person is and what they do all day.

Thanks Stanford resident, for the direct link to that Twitter photo. Sharper image and slightly different pattern of illuminated cloud than the photo I saw earlier with the Nikon D200 annotations. Nearly identical elevated vantage point, which I'll venture to say is an upper floor of Blackwelder (Escondido Village). The steam plant at Via Ortega is on that line-of-sight about twice the distance to Hoover Tower. "As others observed, smoke was likely unrelated to boom," noted one twitterer. Plenty of steam rising there and long exposures accentuate the brightness of scattered sodium-discharge lighting. The source of the boom remains a mystery, but had to be closer than way across campus.

Posted by Tommy
a resident of College Terrace
on Jan 28, 2014 at 10:00 am

Again, I saw the explosion. Saw the sky light up and the orange bubble dome. Felt the shock wave that almost knocked the wind out of me from a couple miles away and caused car alarms to go off across the city. That was not a firework. I set off M80s and M120s all the time when I was a kid, and needless to say have seen countless fireworks shows. Saying that was a firework is ludicrous. I saw that Twitter photo, and although it looks like it could've been from the general area, it could potentially be that little power plant next to Stanford Shopping Center. But, if it was a transformer that blew up, we would have heard fire engines, police cars, and potentially hazmat teams. Plus, the police would have told us it was simply a blown transformer. But, a blown transformer doesn't create what I saw and felt. And it certainly wasn't fireworks. I spoke with NASA and they said they have no knowledge of a meteorite in the area...although what I saw & felt would qualify as a small meteorite exploding above ground. So, it appears we're not going to get an answer on what happened. No one got hurt, no property damage, so all's apparently well.

Posted by Tommy
a resident of College Terrace
on Jan 28, 2014 at 12:35 pm

Yes...a shock wave. They don't necessarily break windows. I felt it, a neighbor felt it, and it set off car alarms. And a "firecracker?" Seriously? I saw a better photo from a friend of that plume of smoke that shows what looks like a fire that corresponds to where the explosion may have happened. It was probably from either that little power station or from campus. Whatever it was, it's strange that there were no sirens, people in that area don't know what it was, the news hasn't covered it, and the police are saying it was a firework. Oh well...just have to chalk it up to a big bang in the middle of night.

Posted by David
a resident of College Terrace
on Jan 28, 2014 at 12:50 pm

I was walking the dog and felt the shock wave too. My dog was knocked a little sideways. It was so loud and nothing I have ever heard before. For sure not a firework. Tommy can you attach the pictures?

Posted by Tommy
a resident of College Terrace
on Jan 28, 2014 at 4:26 pm

Ok, it's evident we're not going to get an official straight answer as to what happened. BUT...an anonymous source from SRI stated that it was a meteorite. Off the books and unconfirmed. Apparently the pics being circulated of the smoke/steam/whatever is unrelated. David, sorry but there's no option to post pics on this thread.

Posted by Meteorite's Spokesman
a resident of Charleston Gardens
on Jan 28, 2014 at 4:56 pm

The meteorite has no comment at this time. The meteorite is part of the Witness Protection Program (the meteorite accidentally witnessed a murder in the Andromeda Galaxy) and values its anonymity. The meteorite apologizes profusely and would just like to get on with its new life. Thank you.

cops called it ''loud boom'' same terminmology of earthfiles.com articles. another thing, cassandra who saw daytime ''meteor'' same day, that raises attention. some things that look like ''meteorites'' are actually ''ufo's''. saw one of those in palo, to slow and controlled casual flight to be streaking fizzling out ''meteorite''. to see that casually looking out window same day is interesting. maybe no ''coincidence'' anybody with a mind would be checking ''earthfiles.com'' for similar reports. or listen to ''coast to coast a.m.'' on thursday. better yet,editor, contact linda moulton howe with this compelling report. unexplained in this day and age pf fear not to know what this is in a high profile area like palo alto for sakes.

Well, must have been something, and given the lack of physical evidence there is no reason to believe anyone can do more than speculate. Was this event the "suspicious circumstance" on Williams noted at 23:19 in the PAPD log?

I guess the meteor hypothesis is as good as any at this point, but seems awfully localized to me. It takes awhile to come through a hundred miles of atmosphere, and any rock big enough to survive would have left a blazing ionization trail visible across the entire Bay Area, especially on a clear nearly moonless night.

Tommy, was there any significant time-delay between the sky lighting up and the shock wave? Sound takes five seconds to go a mile, I think we've all estimated lightning distance that way. Nobody has compared the Sunday night explosion to the rolling sound of thunder, seems to be agreement that it was more bomb-like. Sorry I missed it.

Posted by Hmmm
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Jan 28, 2014 at 6:26 pmHmmm is a registered user.

I heard the explosion, way over on the west side of E. Palo Alto. It reminded me of the time my boyfriend was staying at a friend's in south Palo Alto, and heard an explosion and actually saw something small. He was convinced it was a meteorite. The cops never found anything, either.

Posted by Nora Charles
a resident of Stanford
on Jan 29, 2014 at 4:51 am

I've been without the internet for awhile, so it's fascinating to now read the responses. Tommy's experience was especially intriguing! I also thought it odd not to hear sirens afterward, as it sounded really dreadful. It did not sound like fireworks to me. The last noise of that magnitude I'd heard was that meteorite a couple years ago or so. I'll ask around on campus and report back if I learn anything.

Thank you Stanford resident for the quantitative data point. I guess the direction of the source was ambiguous -- often the case for sudden deep sounds or for bright flashes that momentarily light up the whole environment. Tommy indicated seeing an "orange bubble" apparently in the general direction of Stanford -- I'll be curious whether he recalls a similar time-delay.

The widely observed October 17, 2012 fireball meteor had reports of a 1 to 2 minute sound delay and rumbling for up to 30 seconds. This past weekend's event doesn't fit that kind of profile.

One morning many decades ago I was awakened before dawn thinking maybe I heard an explosion, maybe not. Three minutes later as I headed back into slumber the sirens started. Looking outside there was an impressive orange glow toward the southwest. It was a wing of El Carmelo Elementary School ablaze after a natural gas leak. Windows were blown out over the entire block. Let's never have a repeat.

It's either metors or hydrogen sulfide and methane are coming out of the Earth at an alarming rate ( Google methane levels from Artic, they are off the charts, scary levels).

For one, huge explosions in the skies around the world, often accompanied by a 'flash of light', sometimes damaging homes. Explosions like that indicates a chemical reaction, which means...chemicals. What chemicals, and why are they in the atmosphere around the planet NOW, just as the waters are heating up? Well, in Earth's history, hotter waters leads to hydrogen sulfide and methane eruptions. Nothing else really explains those gigantic atmospheric explosions.

Quote: "Several residents reported hearing a loud explosion in Syracuse Saturday night around 7 p.m. One reported smoke drifting across a park and another seeing a flash. The explosion was said to be strong enough to rattle windows."

Quote: "A sergeant told FOX23 that several of officers heard a large boom that shook the buildings and police received several reports from all over town and surrounding communities. Despite all the reports, no one has been able to locate any evidence of an explosion or a site where the sound originated."

Note: Claremore is near Oologah Lake and is northeast (downwind) of the Arkansas River. These mysterious city-shaking booms really started escalating a couple of years ago, right around the time methane began heavily splurting from the Arctic, off the coast of Israel, off the US East Coast, etc. That's also when mysterious HazMat incidents, sometimes involving odors, began sickening people. These explosions are highly likely caused by atmospheric clouds of methane and/or hydrogen sulfide finding an ignition source and detonating. Once these explosions start destroying towns and cities instead of merely shaking homes and terrifying residents then our time of living on the surface of the Earth will be just about over...

I'm a Stanford student, living on campus and saw the sky outside our widow light up then a huge explosion and the windows and dorm shook. It felt like our bodies vibrated from inside. We ran to the roof and we saw nothing. No sirens, no fires. A couple of our friends were walking back to their rooms when it happened and they said it happened over their heads and they were almost knocked down. Tommy, David, Musical, Sean's ideas are good. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but why hasn't this been on the news and why are the police saying it was a firework? No way it was a firework or pipe explosion.

Posted by Lets exaggerate
a resident of Downtown North
on Jan 29, 2014 at 9:46 am

For those of you who have not figured out what is happening, one person is taking a minor incident ( the setting off of a large firework) and tryingbo turn into a major incident ( the building shook, a large dome like fireball, my dog was knocked over, car alarms went off) and is having some fun with us.
As others have pointed out, there were no broken windows or other results that would have been seen from a large explosion.
You had your fun time to move on

That the meteorite is a source of the light and the meteor's just what we see and the meteoroid is a stone that's devoid of the fire that propelled it to thee. The meteorite's just what causes the light and the meteor's how it's perceived. The meteoroid's a bone thrown from the void that lies quiet in offering to thee.

Lets exaggerate: Are you saying all of the people who saw, heard and felt the explosion at the exact same time all over the area are making it up and are only saying it because someone posted a hoax? That is crazy. You make no sense saying it is a hoax yet you keep clinging to a firework explanation. Yes Lets exaggerate, time for you to move on.

Posted by Let's exaggerate
a resident of Downtown North
on Jan 29, 2014 at 10:55 am

No, Ashley, I am saying 1 person has made it up-- do the math yourself on what I am saying about "1" person.
It was fireworks-- no broken windowsn, no news reports, comments from the police, a long exposure of picture. All of this hoax is Lainey very neatly. One person is having fun. And as for " all the people" you refer to are one person.

[Portion removed.] It's been happening all over the nation, especially since 2011. Go to you tube or google booms. I posted 2 similar incidents that happen the other day above. As a matter of fact Vermont has been going through this lately, Montreal also, look it up people. I'm not making it up. Research its right in front of us! The police and media are not going to cause hysteria!

Posted by Lets exaggerate
a resident of Downtown North
on Jan 29, 2014 at 11:56 am

Hmmm- I think Nora Charles heard a fireworks explosion ( note, no comment from her about fireballs, buildings shaking, people being blown off their feet etc) and then ONE person decided to have some fun

Posted by Tommy
a resident of College Terrace
on Jan 29, 2014 at 12:37 pm

Hey 'Let's Exaggerate'...are you saying I'm lying??? While you were asleep or watching reruns of Seinfeld on TV, I was outside and facing in that direction when the explosion happened. You keep waffling between saying it was a firework and everyone lying about their experiences. Then you get your shorts in a bind when those of us that witnessed this event call you out on your ridiculousness. Get off this forum. Practice what you preach and move one.

Posted by Lets exaggerate
a resident of Downtown North
on Jan 29, 2014 at 12:47 pm

Tommy-- there was no evidence of physical damage, no broken windows, no fire, no reports in the local paper etc. there was a firework-- that is what Nora Charles heard-- the rest ( claims of domes of light, dogs blown over, car alarms going off, buildings shaking etc) are all a hoax perpetrated by ONE poster. I have not been waffling about anything.
Now are my comments clear? Time for that person to move on

Posted by Tommy
a resident of College Terrace
on Jan 29, 2014 at 1:11 pm

Let's Exaggerate...I saw the explosion, heard the car alarms going off, felt it (as did my neighbors and others on this forum)...so you are saying I'm lying about my experience. Furthermore, you're stating I'm doing it because I read a hoax someone wrote on the internet. I suggest you stop shooting your mouth off. If you didn't see it or hear it, there's no reason for you to be adding your moronic comments. Adults are talking here, so please go back to watching your cartoons.

Posted by neighbor
a resident of another community
on Jan 29, 2014 at 1:17 pm

There are numerous episodes on the Twilight Zone about community imagination and hysteria. Perhaps there will be another TZ marathon during the Superbowl. But, wait a minute, the Superbowl and Chinese New Year are this weekend. I expect there will be lots of meteor and alien reports, so this thread will continue for days.

Posted by that photo
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jan 29, 2014 at 1:31 pm

Some people on this thread seem to overlook the possibility that this noise came from a nearby large institution filled with bright curious young adults with access to many things that go boom and the creativity to cause them to go boom. That seems like a much more probable explanation than these other theories.

Posted by Let's exaggerate
a resident of Downtown North
on Jan 29, 2014 at 1:33 pm

Just to clear the record, this comment:

"Posted by Lets exaggerate, a resident of Downtown North
14 minutes ago
Sorry, guys. I was wrong and I'll go back to playing WoW. I'm a level 76 mage."

Is not from me the original let's exaggerate.
Obviously I have hit a nerve with ONE person who is pushing this hoax and he/she is so desperate that they are stealing screen names.
More proof that there was just a firecracker going off and nothing else.
And tommy, just to answer your question, the reason people are commenting is there is no evidence to back up your claim.

Posted by Tommy
a resident of College Terrace
on Jan 29, 2014 at 2:03 pm

Let's Exaggerate...you are exhausting. What happened was NOT a hoax. But if it makes you feel better to say that I and the other witnesses are lying, and if that makes the world a more comfortable place for you...you go right ahead. Arguing with you reminds me of a quote from George Carlin, "Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience."